by Dia Cole
“It sounds like it was lucky for Mira that Havana was here,” Ty said looking over at the couch where Mira napped. “Where is she by the way? Shouldn’t Havana have arrived by now?” Ty kept a neutral expression on his face, but he seemed a bit more interested in Vana’s whereabouts than he should’ve been. Is he getting attached to the female?
I tried to probe my friend’s mind through our bond.
He was shut down like Fort Knox. Lately, he’d been doing that, shutting me out. I didn’t like it. Wondering why he wasn’t sharing his thoughts, I muttered, “I let her go.”
Ty’s eyebrows shot up. “What?”
“It’s not safe for her here. If she’d eaten the poisoned pie, she’d have died yesterday. No matter what my feelings are for her, I won’t risk her life.”
“Havana might not have died,” Ty said softly. “Adult Lykos physiology is resistant to many poisons.”
“But she’s not Lykos. She’s an Atavus or don’t you remember?”
Ty refused to meet my gaze.
“Brother, what are you keeping from me?”
He let out a puff of air. “I believe Havana is a latent.”
I could only stare at him in shocked disbelief. The idea that Vana was a latent, aka a Lykos who had yet to go through their first transition, was preposterous. “That’s impossible. Tasha has a doctor screening blood samples from every babe born in this town. If Vana was Lykos, she’d have found her.”
“Havana was born inside her mother’s trailer, not at the hospital, remember? And I doubt she’s ever received legitimate medical treatment.”
There had to be more to his suspicion than that. “What did you find out about her background?”
Ty turned away and stared out the window at the swing set in the backyard.
My impatience grew as he said nothing and kept his mind locked against me. “Spit it out, brother!”
He spun around, a flash of anger in his eyes. “I spoke with a former friend of Havana’s mother. It seems Havana was the product of a one-night stand between her mother, who I believe was an Atavus, and a colonel in the army.”
I waved my hand dismissively. “So. Hundreds of colonels and lieutenant colonels probably move through the army base every year.”
Ty continued. “Donna, the friend, remembered that the colonel was nearly seven feet tall, that his eyes were a very unusual gold color, and that his name was Zacharias.”
In an instant all the heat seemed to leave the room. “As in Zacharias the Original?”
The slight nod of Ty’s head took me straight back to the whispered stories we’d heard as boys about the twelve Original Lykos project test subjects. They were the strongest, deadliest, and most powerful Alphas of us all. Unfortunately, they were also the most mentally unstable. Although most of them were thought to have been destroyed, a few, like Tasha, had escaped and a few, it was rumored, were kept by the military. “If that’s true then—”
“Then Havana will become a very powerful Lykos when she transitions,” Ty finished for me.
I shut my eyes seeing the inevitable events that would follow. “As soon as Tasha senses Vana, which she’ll do once she transitions, she’ll hunt her down and kill her.” The Alpha of Winterhaven would never allow an adult Lykos female of rivaling power to exist in her territory.
“I won’t let that happen,” Ty vowed.
“And neither will I.” Damnation. I ran both of my hands through my hair. It wasn’t enough that I had an assassin on my hands, the female I lo—cared for was in danger. Vana being a latent changes everything. Once she transitioned she’d need protection. My protection, the wolf inside me snarled. She’s mine.
Ty started to say something, but a popular dance song interrupted him. It sounded like the ringtone of a phone.
We both looked around my study in confusion until I tracked the source to a black purse sitting on the floor near the couch. Hoping to stop the racket before it woke Mira, I grabbed the bag and pulled out the noisy cell phone. I must’ve hit the talk button because a voice at the other end started shouting.
“Girl, you’d better have a damn good explanation for not coming home last night. You know you’re supposed to tell me if you’re staying at that rich guy’s house. Unless… Unless you were getting laid. Damn, girl, did you finally do the dirty with Daddy Warbucks?”
Ty arched his brow and mouthed “Daddy Warbucks?”
I cleared my throat. “Who is this?”
The woman on the other end cursed. “I’m Sydney. Who the hell are you and why do you have my friend Vana’s phone?”
“I’m Nathan Steele. Ms. James is my employee. I just came across this phone in my study. She must’ve left it here yesterday. You said she didn’t come home?”
“Yeah. I thought she was just sleeping through the party last night, but her car isn’t in the parking lot and her bed hasn’t been slept in.”
The worry in the woman’s voice set my heart racing. After compelling Vana to forget yesterday’s events, I’d told her to go straight home. That compulsion should’ve been impossible to shake, which meant that something serious must’ve happened to prevent her from acting on it. “Is there anywhere else she might’ve gone? Anyone she might’ve spent the night with?” Saying those words filled my mouth with a bitter taste.
“Hell no. The woman acts like a granny these days. If she’s not over at your house, she’s here. Wait. There’s a really hot, tall, dark-skinned guy she used to see, although she weirdly doesn’t seem to remember him. He drives this amazing—”
Giving Ty a sardonic look, I cut her off. “That’s Tyberius. He’s here with me now. Is there anyone else? Another friend or family member she would stay with?” From what I knew about Vana, I could already answer that question. A feeling of dread washed over me. What if the assassins took her?
“No.” Sydney was quiet for a minute and then said, “Wait. There’s this creeper from the club that’s been stalking her for months. What if he kidnapped her or something?”
“What? She has a stalker?” Why do I not know about this? I looked over at Ty. “Do you know anything about this?”
He shook his head, looking as worried as I was starting to feel.
“Yeah, his name is Jeremy Riggs. He texts her constantly. I told her she should get a new number and report the guy, but she just tells me he’s harmless, and there’s nothing to worry about.”
Ty stiffened.
“What is it, brother?”
Ty didn’t answer me, but the fact that he’d grown a shade paler kicked my pulse up several notches.
Turning my attention back to the phone I asked, “Do you know where Jeremy lives?”
“Actually, I do. The slime was always bragging about being the super of that new high-rise apartment building downtown. You know the posh one with the five-star restaurant on the first floor?”
“Yes.” I knew the location well. I’d just had lunch with the mayor there a few weeks back. “I’ll pay Mr. Riggs a visit.”
“Good. Tell him to leave Vana the hell alone. I’ll wait for her here and call you at her number if she shows up.”
“Please do that,” I said, ending the call.
As I swiped down on the face of the phone, a daisy chain of text messages appeared.
What R U wearing?
I did something bad. Need U 2 punish me.
Mistress Robin, ILY.
UR Mine.
You can’t avoid me forever, bitch.
SRY for temper.
I’m having another party. I want you to come.
There must’ve been hundreds of messages all within the past week. “What the fuck? Who is this guy?” I forgot to keep my voice low.
Mira whimpered and flipped over on the couch. Thankfully, she continued sleeping.
Ty strode over and tore the phone from my hand. “Shit. I think it’s the fat guy from the club parking lot. I didn’t think he’d keep harassing her like this.” As he scrolled through the messages his hands shoo
k.
“Why wouldn’t she report this? Why didn’t she tell you or me?”
Ty looked over, an expression of guilt on his face. “I compelled her not to worry about him.”
I saw red. “You did what?”
“I now see that was a mistake. If I’d known—”
My fist slamming into his jaw cut him off. “You endangered her life, you son of a bitch.”
He shoved me away and growled. “You endangered her life by hiring her and bringing her into our lives.”
He’s right. My anger faded. “We don’t even know if this Jeremy is involved. It could’ve been a rival faction that took her.”
“I’ll find out.” Ty headed for the door.
I grabbed his arm. “No. You’ll stay here and watch Mira. I’ll go look for her since I’m familiar with the Meridian.” I’ll turn those apartments inside out to find her. “Here, take this.” I tossed him Vana’s phone. “Call me if the friend rings with any updates.”
Ty clenched the phone so tightly, it looked like it was going to snap in his hands. “Find her, brother. If that fat fuck has hurt her…” His jaw elongated and his fangs lengthened.
“If anyone has hurt her, they will wish for the mercy of death,” I vowed. With that, I grabbed my keys and headed to my garage. Urgency drove me to choose the silver BMW. It was fast and wouldn’t attract the kind of attention most of my other vehicles would draw. The last thing I needed was to be stuck in some intersection by gawkers or luxury car enthusiasts. As I peeled out of my driveway, I spied Vana’s four-door still parked in her designated spot out front. What the...? Had she been attacked getting into it?
I pulled my car alongside the sedan, jumped out, and sniffed the area. No one had been anywhere near here but Vana. Why would she leave her car? It didn’t make any sense.
I thought back to my exact words to her yesterday. Damnation. I’d ordered her to go straight home, which could be interpreted as don’t stop for anything. Even her purse. Even her car. I slammed my hand on the steering wheel. The fates be damned. The female lived miles from here. It would’ve taken her hours to get home on foot. Hours that someone could’ve been watching her. Hunting her. I buried my face in my hands. This is my fault. I’d put her safety at risk.
“That makes two of us, brother,” Ty said into my mind. “Now stop blaming yourself and get your ass over to that apartment complex. The fat male is our only lead.”
“Right.” I straightened my shoulders, threw the car into gear, and raced toward the high-rise in the center of town.
15
Havana
A sharp crick in my neck woke me. I lifted my head slowly and blinked into darkness. My eyelids felt as if they had ten-pound weights on them and my head felt as if it was stuffed with cotton candy. Dazed, I fought against the dizziness threatening to pull me back under. Where am I?
I tried to rub my aching neck, but couldn’t move my arms. They were duct-taped to the arms of a chair. What the hell? Duct tape covered my mouth too. Terror climbed up the back of my throat. Attempts to twist my body back and forth got me nowhere. Even my legs were secured to the chair.
Panic filled my chest. As I hyperventilated, each frantic inhale and exhale was forced in and out of my nostrils. Calm down, an inner voice shouted. It was the same voice I first heard as a three-year-old when I’d been trapped on my bed by that tree. That voice had gotten me out of many bad situations and I wasn’t about to ignore it now. Breathe and try to remember what happened.
As I deepened my breathing, I struggled to piece together my memories. The last thing I recalled was walking home to my apartment. For some unfathomable reason I’d decided to walk home instead of taking my car. I’d just been passing a dirt lot when a car pulled out in front of me. Surprised, I’d stopped in my tracks.
Jeremy Riggs had jumped out waving his flabby arms excitedly. “It really is you. I couldn’t believe it when I first saw you. I almost didn’t recognize you in those clothes.” It wasn’t hard to recognize him, however. He was even wearing that same god-awful Hawaiian shirt he’d worn the last time I’d seen him in the club parking lot.
“I need to get home,” I said, trying to step around him. The relentless drive to go home nagged at me with an urgency I couldn’t explain.
He blocked my way with his corpulent body. “Let me give you a ride.”
So that he could learn my address and stalk me at home as well as by phone. Yeah. I don’t think so. “No, thank you,” I said, scanning the surrounding area. Unfortunately, I’d chosen one of the least busy side streets to walk down. The dirt lot was empty and so was the abandoned industrial park across the street. Crap. There weren’t even any cars driving by either. Not good. And to add insult to injury, I hadn’t grabbed my phone or purse on my way out of Nathan’s house. Epic fail all around.
“I gotta go.” I stepped around him.
“Fine. Fine,” he said, putting up his hands as if in surrender. A wide smile split his face. “I get it.” He turned and walked back to his car.
Relieved, I increased my pace and all but jogged away from the creep. I’d hoped that would be the last I’d see and hear from him.
I’d made it only fifteen feet when I heard the crunch of gravel behind me. Before I could spin around, a large hand holding a damp washcloth clamped over my face. I’d immediately choked on a sickly sweet chemical odor. What the hell? I struggled to pull away, but the surprisingly strong arm around me tightened.
My eyes watered and my brain fogged. “Help!” I screamed, but the washcloth muffled my voice.
A woozy feeling hit me and my legs buckled.
As I’d fallen to the ground, I’d heard Jeremy say, “So glad you can join the party.”
So Jeremy had taken me. Guess he was a far bigger threat than I’d thought. Regret that I hadn’t reported his creepy behavior rushed through me, followed by a sickening feeling in my gut. Ah hell. Did he rape me too? I shifted around in my seat enough to confirm that I still wore my blouse and slacks. Other than my bladder being uncomfortably full, my body didn’t feel bruised or injured in any way. That was something at least.
Now to figure a way out of this mess. A lifetime of watching thrillers had me rocking my body back and forth in the chair. Although the chair didn’t move much at first, after a minute I’d built up enough momentum that the chair wobbled on two legs and then crashed to the floor on its side.
Ah! I let out a muffled cry as my restrained left arm took some impact. The floor felt strange against my hand. Almost as if it was covered with some kind of plastic. Although I’d rattled every bone in my body, the abrupt fall still hadn’t been enough to tear or loosen the duct tape. Damn it.
Bright overhead lights suddenly flickered on, blinding me. As I blinked, a pair of sandaled feet walked over. There was only one guy I knew who wore black socks with sandals. It was all the confirmation I needed that Jeremy was my abductor.
The fat man bent down, his face inches from mine. “Finally! I thought you were going to sleep forever.”
“Let me go,” I tried to scream through the duct tape.
Jeremy made a tsking sound. Then he picked up my chair, righted it, and pushed it several feet forward until I was sitting at the head of a long table. The table looked decorated for a party with a confetti-print tablecloth and brightly colored disposable plates and cups.
Icy fear choked me. “Help!” I screamed against the tape.
Jeremy clapped his hands together. “I can’t wait for you to meet the others.”
I looked over at the four empty chairs gathered around the table. Crap. Don’t tell me more sickos are coming to this party.
Jeremy headed back through the door giving me an opportunity to scan the space. It was a large room. Blackout curtains were drawn tight over what had to be a window. Plastic sheeting, the kind I’d used when I’d painted my apartment, covered the undecorated white walls and carpeted floor. Other than me and the table, there was nothing in the room. Oh hell. This is bad. Very
bad. Panic overtook my senses, forcing me to take shallow sharp breaths. I need a plan. A good motherfucking plan to get out of this mess.
Before I could come up with anything, the door opened and Jeremy reappeared pushing a metal utility cart. He wheeled the cart over to the table and started unloading metal serving trays that were covered by domed lids. Instead of placing the trays directly on the table, Jeremy carefully placed each one on the chairs. Then he glanced over at me with an expression of wild anticipation on his face. “Do you know what we are celebrating today?”
I had a feeling that was the last thing I wanted to know.
Jeremy smiled widely. “We’re celebrating you joining our family. I’d like you to meet your sisters.” He reached down and yanked off the lid of the closest serving dish with the flourish of an English butler.
The breath froze in my lungs. Sitting on the platter was a decapitated woman’s head. Her skin was mottled, and her frizzy brown hair was matted but there was no mistaking the multiple nose piercings. Destiny. Oh my God.
A whimper escaped my lips. This whole time Jeremy was the Strip Club Killer. He’d killed my friend and the other dancers.
“Destiny was the most recent addition to our family,” Jeremy said, patting Destiny’s head gently like she was some kind of pet. Then he reached over and pulled the lid off the next dish revealing another head belonging to an unfamiliar dark-haired woman. Her mouth was open, her bluish lips locked in a silent scream. “Meet Lily,” Jeremy said, rearranging the woman’s hair around the bloody stump of her neck.
Bile rose up the back of my throat. I slammed my eyes shut, not able to look as he unveiled his next two victims.
“Don’t be rude, Mistress Robin,” Jeremy said. I could hear his sandals flopping closer to my chair. “You should want to meet your sisters.”